Major Gulf Cartel Kidnapping Ring Busted in Mexico

Mexican authorities have arrested a top commander with the Gulf Cartel and his close associates who are believed to be responsible for the kidnappings that have terrorized the port city of Tampico, Tamaulipas.

A Mexican federal police task force was able to carry out an intelligence driven operation that led to the capture of Marco Antonio “R-2” Haro Rodriguez and his top two associates, information provided to Breitbart Texas by Mexico’s National Security Commission revealed.

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During the arrest, federal police forces seized two handguns, an AR-15, a grenade and a Jeep that the men had been using.

Haro has been described as the “plaza boss” or the top leader for the criminal organization in a region that covers the southern part of Tamaulipas to Panuco, Veracruz. Tampico is the southernmost city in Tamaulipas but it is also the largest one being home to home to the busiest shipping port in the state. The once strong economy in the region developed a lucrative new enterprise for the Gulf Cartel as the group began to kidnap and extort local businessmen and their families. The move resulted in the region’s strongest families fleeing the area. Most recently the Gulf Cartelbegan to operate in a similar fashion in the border city of Matamoros where the criminal organization began to target innocent civilians as kidnapping targets, Breitbart Texas previously reported.

His top associates were identified as Eloy Fernando Del Angel Hernandez and Omar Garcia Torres. Del Angel Hernandez was described by Mexican authorities as the man tasked with coordinating and ordering the kidnapping activity for the Gulf Cartel in Haro’s area of operation.

Haro had taken over cartel operations in Tampico during the summer of 2015 following the capture of his brother Silvestre “R-1 or El Chive” Haro Rodriguez. As Breitbart Texas previously reported, in that case authorities were able to arrest El Chive at a local hospital in Tampico along with other relatives as they were visiting his right hand man who ironically had lost a hand tampering with an explosive device.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award winning journalist with Breitbart Texas you can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook.